Bible: Ezekiel 16:44-52

16:44 “‘Observe – everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.”16:45You arethe daughterof your mother, who detestedher husbandand her sons, and you arethe sisterof your sisterswhodetestedtheir husbandsand their sons. Your motherwas a Hittiteand your fatheran Amorite.16:46Your oldersisterwas Samaria, who livednorth1of you with her daughters, and your youngersister, who livedsouth2of you, was Sodom3with her daughters.16:47Have you notcopiedtheir behavior4and practicedtheir abominable deeds? In a shorttime5 you became even moredepravedin allyour conductthan theywere!16:48As surelyas Ilive, declaresthe sovereignLord, your sisterSodomand her daughtersnever behavedaswickedly as youand your daughtershavebehaved.

16:49 “‘See here – this was the iniquity6 of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help7 the poor and needy.16:50They were haughtyand practicedabominable deedsbeforeme. Therefore when I sawit I removedthem.16:51Samariahas notcommittedhalfthe sinsyou have; you have done moreabominable deedsthan they did.8 You have made your sistersappear righteouswith allthe abominable thingsyou havedone.16:52So now, bearyour disgrace, because youhavegiven your sistersreasonto justifytheir behavior.9 Becausethe sinsyou have committed were more abominable thanthose of your sisters; they have become morerighteous thanyou. Sonow, be ashamedand bearthe disgraceof making your sistersappear righteous.